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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25306033">Family Portrait</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterfallliam/pseuds/waterfallliam'>waterfallliam</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate Atlantis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Background Relationships, Family Feels, Gen, Not Canon Compliant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:34:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25306033</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterfallliam/pseuds/waterfallliam</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ronon commissions a piece of art of the team and unveils it for them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Family Portrait</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come on Rodney,” John says, pulling his name to last more syllables than it reasonably ever should. “We can’t be late for Ronon.”</p><p>“What? It’s not like he’s getting married.” Ronon’s relationship with Keller is a only a few months young, something or other happening during the quarantine and had launched them in quite a different romantic direction than his shut in with Katie had. </p><p>“No, but he said it was important.”</p><p>Rodney continues to sort through the box of bit and bobs in front of him, sure that one of them matches the innocuous looking gap in the console Radek’s team have been trying to get activated for the last three days. Really, it’s taking up too much of Radek’s time, and Rodney doesn’t want to be caught out all alone for their routine power checks. They’re a real bore even with someone else to take on half the work.</p><p>“Ronon doesn’t usually ask for anything like this.”</p><p>“Oh.” Rodney’s hands still. “Do you think he’s pregnant? Could that happen?”</p><p>“What?” John frowns.</p><p>“Well unless it’s that or an intervention why would he invite us all for an ‘announcement’?</p><p>Rodney lifts his hands to do the matching airquotes with his fingers and John grabs the box, sliding it across the table towards himself and away from Rodney. Smiling tightly, he pulls the lid onto the plastic bin and returns it to its shelf.</p><p>“Fine, you win,” Rodney sniffs. “But only because it’s important to Ronon.”</p><p>John snorts, but refrains from saying anything further. Wanting to reward his good will, Rodney cautiously takes John’s hand as they enter the South East wing, leaving the bustle of the inner city behind. This thing between them is brand new. Somewhere in between John coming back from his solar flare adventure and them saving Teyla and Torren, John had crushed their mouths together and stared at Rodney as if he was the best thing in all the known and unknown universe.</p><p>Later, he’d found out about his balding counterpart who had done everything to save John. And after hunting John down, he’d found out that the kiss wasn’t just out of gratitude. John had held him a bit too tightly, face pressed into his neck, but Rodney had just eased him toward his bed so they could cuddle, pointy elbows and accidental tickling included. They’d talked, and decided to take things slow.</p><p>It takes a few moments, but then John grips his hand back, all his gun toting strength and the surprising gentleness that presses against Rodney’s wounds when he’s hurt mixed together and boiled down to a point of contact between them.</p><p>“What do you think it is?” Rodney asks.</p><p>“Maybe he bought a new knife.”</p><p>“But he could have showed that to us at lunch.” Ronon had done it before, cutting paper thin sliver after sliver of roasted meat to show off. “It could be an axe.”</p><p>They’d renewed their good relations with the Enrey hunters on M5S-R23 just last week in anticipation of the upcoming great hunt—biological control for an invasive species brought through their Gate many years ago. They end up with too much meat for themselves and are happy to trade for grain or other trinkets Atlantis has accumulated. Ronon and Teyla had joined the locals in some goodwill sparring, the axe being their traditional weapon.</p><p>“Maybe he has a new pair of pants,” John offers.</p><p>“Glued to his skin I bet. I suppose Athosian fashion does save on fabric…”</p><p>“Maybe I should order some the next time I’m on the mainland.” John winks at him, or at least Rodney thinks that’s what his aborted blinking is supposed to be.</p><p>“Maybe I should, too. For the next time we go undercover.” Rodney doesn’t like the feeling of tight, clingy fabric against his skin, but blending in can mean the difference between success and running for their lives.</p><p>“Good idea.” John gives him an appreciative look that makes Rodney reconsider the sincerity of his words. Next time they visit New Athos he will ask about having some made for him.</p><p>They reach Ronon’s door. It slides open when John palms the chime.</p><p>Teyla’s already inside with Ronon, the two of them laughing together. Her smile widens as she sees them. “Rodney, John. Ronon was just telling me how Carter won a sparring match against him.”</p><p>“Sam beat you?” Rodney gapes. “Good on her!”</p><p>“What trick she’d use?” John squints.</p><p>“Teal’c taught her a move when she visited Earth,” Ronon says. “She promised to teach me next time.”</p><p>“Sounds like she had a good time.”</p><p>“I am glad she has returned, running the city all alone can be very taxing,” Teyla says.</p><p>There’s an awkward moment of silence. It’s been a year, but they all feel Elizabeth’s absence. The office is Sam’s now, but he’s seen Teyla place Elizabeth’s watch on the desk as she works. She’d always helped Elizabeth, and he knows Banks has been helping her in turn these past few weeks. One of the first promises Sam had made to them when she’d come back, IOA snapping at her heels, was they would make finding Elizabeth a priority. The city just doesn’t feel the same without her.</p><p>“At least it helped you find a babysitter.” Rodney smiles. Even with Kanaan living in the city again, there are still plenty of volunteers who missed caring for their own children or those of their family and friends. Torren is a very lovable baby, even for Rodney who never expected to care so deeply for a child. But Torren makes him melt like butter, except when he insists on trying his hardest to grab Rodney’s fingers and never let go. When he’d met Madison for the first time she could talk at least, but all Torren does is cry or scream or gurgle happily as he grabs at things he shouldn’t.</p><p>“Yes. Everyone has been very helpful with their advice and suggestions. Sometimes too helpful, but it is gratifying to know that Torren already has so many people who care for him.”</p><p>“At least you didn’t ask Radek,” John smirks, and the atmosphere fades back to pleasantly amicable as they all share a laugh.</p><p>“So, what did you want to show us?” Rodney asks Ronon.</p><p>“Wait here,” Ronon instructs. “Close your eyes.”</p><p>Teyla complies first, and John takes a moment, but follows suit. Ronon glares at Rodney until he does the same. There’s a rustle of fabric and a faint grunt, then quiet.</p><p>“Okay, look now."</p><p>Rodney opens his eyes to see a large painting hanging above Ronon's bed, replacing the one of his old team on Sateda. It’s a painting of AR-1.</p><p>"That's us," John says, then whistles, low and appreciative.</p><p>It’s far better than the one of him and John on Princess—now Queen—Harmony’s world. They look like fierce warriors. Teyla has her Bantos rods raised and ready, a hint of smirk on her lips. John’s carrying a larger and mostly fictional version of a P-90 with biceps that are bigger than they are in real life. Meanwhile Ronon’s got a particle magnum in each hand and looks ready to kill. Even Rodney looks like a badass, no weapon in his hand, but the painter had done something to his face to make him look confident and dangerous. They all stand together in front of a forest, the matching army of defeated Wraith implied just outside the frame. They look like total action heroes.</p><p>“That’s us,” Rodney repeats.</p><p>“It is very beautiful,” Teyla smiles, reaching to squeeze Ronon’s arm, and then touch their foreheads the traditional Athosian way.</p><p>“We look so cool,” Rodney says faintly.</p><p>“The coolest,” Ronon agrees, smiling proudly.</p><p>“That’s,” John blinks, eyes moist. “That’s an awesome painting.”</p><p>The picture of Ronon and his old Satedan team now hangs on a different wall. When drunk, Ronon had talked about them in no uncertain terms, calling them his family. Rodney’s said the same about John, Teyla and Ronon, not to their faces but… Ronon’s hung the picture of them above his bed, the most important place in his room. When he sleeps they’ll be watching over him.</p><p>John and Ronon are doing some kind of brotherly warrior arm clasp thing as John congratulates him on it. Then it’s Rodney’s turn, and there’s no escaping the bear hug, Ronon half lifting him off his feet. He hugs back just as tight, determinedly not thinking about waking up in the middle of the night and checking that they’re all still in the city on his tablet; checking that Michael hasn’t stolen anyone away during the night. He’s overcome with emotions as he holds on, suddenly immeasurably glad that Ronon had asked them here to show them this.</p><p>“How’d the painter make me look so… tough,” Rodney wonders, standing on his own two feet again.</p><p>“You do look like that,” Ronon says. “When someone tries to take the last of the blue jello.”</p><p>“Or when Zelenka tries to steal your coffee,” Teyla agrees, eyes sparkling with good humour.</p><p>“You’re plenty tough McKay,” John soothes, running a hand down his back, touch featherlight. The casual touches aren’t new per se, but their frequency and intimacy is. John’s more open around him, like pulling back the curtains and realising that the sun has been shining all morning, he just hadn’t noticed.</p><p>Now that they’re all together in Ronon’s room, Rodney doesn’t want to leave. It’s been a few weeks since the rescued Teyla and Torren. The first few days they were inseparable, one of them with her in the infirmary at all times, and when she was released the same. But it still grates at him, that she was gone, that they could have lost her and that she could have lost her child.</p><p>“Anyone want to watch a movie?” Ronon suggests.</p><p>They all answer yes, and Rodney breathes a private sigh of relief.</p><p>“Is there any popcorn?” Teyla asks.</p><p>“Got Caldwell to bring an extra large delivery,” John replies.</p><p>There’s plenty of Earth snacks to go round and if he’s lucky John might be up for some stealthy cuddling. “Now we just have to choose what to watch,” Rodney says.</p><p>Ronon and John start arguing immediately, Ronon saying something about misleading titles and John grasping at his chest and emphasising that it’s <em>all about heart.</em></p><p>Teyla’s eyes find his and they share a quiet laugh. Whatever movie they end up choosing, it’s going to be a good night.</p><p> </p>
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